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Report of 

Hostess House 

Committee 




HOSTESS 



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HOUSE 



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Report of 

Hostess House 

Committee 




Issued by the 

WAR WORK COUNCIL 

National Board 

of the 

Young Womens Christian Associations 

600 Lexington Avenue 

New York 




* 'Gift 
Publisher 
SEP 15 1920 



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WAR WORK 

OF THE HOSTESS HOUSE COMMITTEE 

Begitming^ Growth and Extent of J J 'or/: 

WHEN the National War Work Council of the 
Young Women's Christian Association undertook 
to provide for the needs of the women affected hy 
war conditions, both in industrial communities and in 
those affected by the presence of men in the training 
camps, there was no expectation that there \vould be any 
need for work for women inside the camps. It was a 
distinct surprise, therefore, to be asked to meet the un- 
anticipated situation which arose when, in June of 1917, 
the Officers' Training Corps was opened at Plattsburg 
barracks and where apparently every man in training 
was visited by all his women relatives for whom there 
was no provision of any kind. 

Consequently, because of its experience in construction 
and in cafeteria management and because of funds im- 
mediately available for work in Plattsburg, the Young 
Women's Christian Association was asked to erect at once, 
within the barracks, a building in which women visitors 
to the men in training might meet them, might rest and 
have food. Since in this building the workers acted as hos- 
tesses to the visitors to the camp and the men in training 
there, the term, hostess house, was rather informally de- 
cided upon for that unique piece of work. 

Unexpectedly and within a very short time, officers in 
command of other officers' training corps requested 
similar facilities. Individual requests began to be re- 
ceived for hostess houses in camps and cantonments, then 
being created for the training of our army. While the 
work was still in an experimental stage, urgent requests 
followed for hostess houses from aviation fields, marine 

3 



and naval stations, from engineer and quartermaster 
training camps, from the ordnance and from the embarka- 
tion camps. 

With the formation of the Student Army Training 
Corps came a flood of requests for hostess house work. 
From camps whose personnel included both white and 
colored soldiers came requests for provision for colored 
women visitors similar to that for white. From perma- 
nent posts came requests that they might have the same 
hostess house facilities as were, upon request, being 
given to camps. From Porto Rico and from Honolulu 
came requests for hostess house work in camps needing 
it to an especial degree. 

With two exceptions, the Young Women's Christian 
Association, through the hostess house committee of 
the National War Work Council, acceded to each kind of 
request. O-ne exception was the request which infre- 
quently proved to be for some other form of work. The 
second was a request from a permanent post, in which, 
according to Government ruling, hostess houses could 
not be built unless, in addition to the post's regular garri- 
son, three thousand or more men were enrolled in train- 
ing. 

On the 31st of October, 1918, the War Department 
Commission on Training Camp Activities, through its 
committee of eleven, ruled that the five visitors' houses 
promoted by the National Catholic War Council and 
hostess houses operated by the Young Women's Chris- 
tian Association should be termed hostess houses. A 
joint hostess house committee was thereupon appointed 
composed of representatives of the National Catholic 
War Council, the Jewish Welfare Board and the Young 
Women's Christian Association, to receive and consider 
each subsequent request for a hostess house and to deter- 
mine whether the National Catholic War Council or the 
Young Women's Christian Association should erect and 
administer a hostess house which the joint committee 
had decided should be built. 

Upon the signing of the armistice, the requests for a 
time ceased and certain houses, partially built, were not 
completed. At that time each decision not to begin prom- 
ised construction, to discontinue construction begun or 

4 



to complete partially or substantially completed houses 
was made after consultation with the War Department 
and in accord with the best knowledge and prediction 
which the Government could give. 

The total number of hostess houses for which the 
committee assumed responsibility up to November i, 
1919, is 124. Of these 17 have been for colored visitors. 
Work has been done in every variety of building, from 
a tent or borrowed Colonial mansion to the latest type 
of "X" Hostess House. 

The first house, built at Plattsburg Barracks, was hardly 
more than a Young Men's Christian Association hut, with 
kitchenette attachment, dressing and rest room and com- 
fortable wicker furniture, and was intended to provide for 
the needs of visitors to five thousand men. It is very grati- 
fying to see this house has continued to be adequate for a 
camp of that size. As the demands upon the hostess 
house became greater in camps where 25,000 to 50,000 
men were in training, the size and facilities of houses had 
to grow in proportion until they reached the two built at 
the two embarkation camps, Merritt and Mills. 

Facilities in houses for white and for colored visitors 
were identical, the same plan of house being used for 
each and the work differing in size only, not in content. 
The work called for adequate provision for toilet facili- 
ties, for rest and emergency room and for free checking 
service. Increasingly also it called for cafeteria service 
to provide simple and essential food for the visitors and 
a supplement of desserts and sweets to the regular mess. 
Sleeping rooms for the stafif and servants were provided. 

At the outset, and until the period of demobilization, 
hostess houses continued almost exclusively to be meeting 
places. They were designed to provide for the reception, 
refreshment, rest, shelter and protection to the women 
relatives and friends of the officers and men in camp. No 
lodgings were provided, although the chance women who 
missed the last train or who fell ill and whom the mili- 
tary authorities permitted us to entertain were taken in 
for the night and made as comfortable as possible. No 
dancing was permitted and no other kind of entertain- 
ment carried on, since other volunteer organizations 
within the camp had been asked and authorized to carry 

5 



that responsibility. No public religious services were 
held for the same reason and also because on Sundays, 
the busiest visiting days, nothing in the house was allowed 
to interfere with the opportunity it gave for visiting. Sol- 
diers, accompanied or not by their relatives, were always 
welcome and the hostesses endeavored to establish an 
atmosphere of home and peace and Christian friendliness 
where the lonely boy might find sympathy and the tired 
one, quiet. 

The work of a hostess house was divided into five parts: 
parts: 

I. — The management of the house, leadership and gen- 
eral supervision of the work, and contact with 
the military authorities. 

2. — Reception and care of the guests. 
3. — Management of the cafeterias, engaging of servants 
and purchase of supplies. 

4. — Bookkeeping, banking and general business admin- 
istration. 

5. — Responsibility for information, connection be- 
tween the visitors and the men they have come to 
see, room registry, transportation, information 
about nearby organizations or institutions. 

To carry out these five kinds of work, a stafif of five 
was required in some camps. In a small aviation field a 
staff of three could divide the work among themselves 
with the assistance of volunteers for busy days. In one of 
the embarkation camps the information desk alone re- 
quired the services of ten people, working in shifts and 
assisted by orderlies and details from the camp headquar- 
ters. 

The total number of resident women engaged in hos- 
tess house work up to November i, 1919, is as follows: 

Services Employed 
discontinued Oct.31, 1919 Total 

White 529 148 677 

White Volunteers . . 86 3 89 

Colored 65 2 67 

Foreign speaking ... 8 o 8 

688 153 841 

7 



Those mentioned above as volunteers held permanent 
positions on the staff. There were many other volunteers 
who gave regular, but temporary help, who should not 
fail to be mentioned. 

In certain cities, which were embarkation and debarka- 
tion ports, or which had in their immediate neighborhood 
several military centers, hostess house work was estab- 
lished in houses rented or loaned for that purpose. The 
program here included additional personal service to 
women who were strangers in the city and additional 
work in securing lodgings for them. The largest of these 
was the Debarkation Hostess House in New York City. 

Working with the resident staffs were two groups of 
people, the local hostess house committees and the 
supervisors and field referees. The local committees' 
responsibility was to assist the staff as an advisory board 
and to render such specific assistance as the circumstances 
permitted. Committees gave invaluable and indispensable 
aid in interpreting local conditions to the committee at 
headquarters and in an immense amount of many kinds 
of arduous work in the houses. 

The traveling supervisor of hostess houses, with head- 
quarters in the nearest field ofiice, was the agent of the 
national hostess house committee authorized to open 
a house, install the staff, interpret to them the policies 
and ideals of the work. She was the interpreter between 
the houses under her jurisdiction and the committee at 
headquarters. 

As young women took up resident military work within 
camps, the Young Women's Christian Association re- 
ceived various requests to provide lodging and recreation 
for them. Women workers in the Quartemaster's Depart- 
ment and women members of liberty theatre troupes 
became residents in buildings, in some instances erected 
by the Young Women's Christian Association and in some 
instances loaned by the camp authorities. 

Where space permitted, there were lodged, also, women 
entertainers of other volunteer organizations in camp ana 
women workers of the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
tion and of the American Library Association. In camps 
where circumstances permitted, it was possible to be of 
some service to the nurses. These pieces of work were 



3 



done by other committees of the council, but centered 
in the hostess house, since some of the activities took 
place there and since the hostess house director was 
responsible for the contact of the Young Women's Chris- 
tian Association with the military authorities. 

The general work of the hostess house was divided 
into three periods: The time of training for overseas 
service, the period of the epidemic and debmobilization, 
beginning with the signing of the armistice and probably 
continuing through 1919. No better illustration of the 
work can be had than in the three following reports 
which give a vivid impression of the daily work of typical 
hostess houses. 

Each camp had its own particular problem which dif- 
fered only in detail, not fundamentally, and which was 
met in a true pioneer spirit by all the workers. No one 
who has not seen the actual operation of a hostess house 
many miles from any markets or supplies can have any 
idea of the difficulties of housekeeping for a fluctuating 
family, averaging fifteen hundred a day. 

The following report of the work of a typical hostess 
house during the first period covers a period of only 
two weeks, but sums up the character of the work of that 
house during six months. 

Number served in cafeteria 25,503 

Average number served per day 1,700 

Letters posted from information desk. . . 2,742 

Questions answered at information desk. 2,614 

Parcels checked free of charge 529 

People directed how to find friends. . . . 253 

Telephone messages taken and delivered 545 

Connections made between friends 217 

Women using rest room 4,493 

Children and babies using nursery 107 

"Sunday, the i6th, is our record day. By reveille 
crowds of civilians were banked outside the entrance gate 
waiting to come into the cantonment and by 7:30, our 
building was beginning to hum with activity. Orders 
had been given the night before to have special care taken 
in the cleaning. Fresh flowers and greens were every- 
where and the building looked very inviting and cool and 

9 



comfortable. We regret that as much cannot be said for 
it twelve hours later, for in spite of careful watching and 
cleaning up during the day, the whole effect was as if a 
tornado had struck us. A big Wild West show was being 
held at the remount depot during the afternoon and that, 
combined with the fact that it was a very lovely day, 
caused many visitors to come out from the surrounding 
towns. 

"The cafeteria served over three hundred for break- 
fast, and at 1 1 o'clock, when the chains were lowered for 
the noon meal, a long line was waiting in the main room. 
Three thousand one hundred and eighteen people were 
served between seven-thirty in the morning and ten-fifteen 
at night. Enough to say for the spirit of the workers 
that at ten o'clock they were still able to smile and see 
the funny side of many of the days' occurrences. 

"All day long the main desk was piled high with 
checked parcels, coats, bags, etc. Two secretaries and 
sometimes three were behind the counter all day long 
answering a steady stream of questions and sending in 
telephone messages by the hundred. The women's rest 
room was literally packed and jammed. One secretary 
and the girl in the rest room stood all day long lining 
women up, one line coming in and one going out while 
another worker helped with the hundreds of babies who 
came into the nursery to rest and be made comfortable. 
People were hot, dusty and tired and their feet hurt from 
constant standing and walking about. One girl said: T 
came out to see camp, but all I have seen is dust and men.' 

"After the last vistor had left the building and the last 
light had been turned out, the family gathered around to 
have a little evening service and every one had a story of 
demands made upon them during the day, to contribute 
to the general discussion. 'Will you please find John 
Proctor for me?' requested an old man, leaning over the 
oflice counter. 'What division does he belong to,' asked 
the secretary. T don't know, I'm sure,' he replied. 'He 
is my son and they said that you could find him for me.' 

"It took the efforts of several secretaries to locate the 
brother of a pretty girl with no more address than the 
91st Division. A little Swedish woman approached one 
of the workers with tears pouring down her face, 'I must 

II 



see the head worker,' she said. When a quiet corner was 
found in the office, it was discovered that she had lost her 
purse and all her money, and that she and her sister were 
without funds to reach the city. The ever ready emer- 
gency fund was used and the two girls went off, grateful 
and happy. 

"More and more the realization of the need for emer- 
gency rooms is being brought to our minds. Hardly a 
night passes that someone doesn't come to us for emer- 
gency housing. In some way our bedroom space always 
seems to be stretched to meet the demands of the situation. 

"The party we had for the girls at the musical comedy 
theatre was a great success. These girls had rehearsed 
nearly all night long for a play. They put on two 
matinees in the afternoon and were to have two perform- 
ances that night. About five o'clock in the afternoon, 
when the second performance was just finishing, we went 
over wnth hot coffee, sandwiches and cake. All the 
members of the company gathered on the stage with 
the girls who were acting as ushers and our secretary 
served the picnic supper. 'Well,' said one little chorus 
girl, as she sat on a stool resting her tired feet, 'this cer- 
tainly tastes good to me. I am so dead tired I couldn't 
go out and get supper and I am nearly starved to death.' 

"The cooperation and help of all denominations are 
very wonderful to see. The most interesting gathering 
that we have ever had in the hostess house was a 
dinner given here in the early part of the month for all 
of the chaplains and church representatives in the can- 
tonment. ^ We invited these men to come as our guests to 
a seven o'clock dinner. There were about twenty-five in 
all, among them the Mormon chaplain, the Jewish rabbi, 
the Seventh Day Adventist, the Swedish Lutheran, the 
Christian Scientist welfare worker, the head of the 
Young Men's Christian Association, the head of the 
religious work of the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
tion, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians 
and our own secretaries. 

"After dinner we gathered around in a little circle and 
told of some of the work. We have all been so busy 
meeting the daily demands put upon us that never before 

\i 



have we really stopped to grasp what the other fellow 
was doing. 

''One of the saddest cases we have had with us since the 
building was opened was that of a little seventeen year 
old girl whose husband was dying of pneumonia in the 
hospital. This child was brought to us by the boy's 
father, who had come up with her from the southern part 
of the state. She was only a baby and seemed stunned 
with the suddenness and tragedy of it all. We took her 
in and kept her the day of her arrival and that night at 
three o'clock our hostess went with her to the hospital 
where they stayed until the husband passed away. 

"The girl was brought back to the hostess house and 
by eight o'clock in the morning was in a very serious 
physical condition; in fact, so much so that at noon she 
had to be removed in an ambulance to the hospital for a 
slight operation. Such a pitiful case it was, for she 
had come absolutely unprepared in the way of clothes 
and necessities, and her broken-hearted cry was that she 
wanted to put on black for her husband. 

"She had no money; so the united wardrobes of the 
household were searched and with a little expenditure 
a complete black outfit was fixed for her. She is still in 
the hospital, but when she comes out she will have the 
satisfaction of having the kind of clothes she wants to 
put on. 

"When our very good friend, Mrs. R., heard of this 
case, she donated hve hundred dollars to be used in simi- 
lar cases, so now we can feel free to do for manv case*^ that 
come to our attention. Of course, the Civilian Relief 
takes care of all of the actual wants of soldiers' families, 
but there are many times when a fund like this will come 
in very wonderfully. 

"At the end of May we had been working for six 
months and statistics for that time have been compiled. 
It is interesting to note that there have been 231,745 
people served in the cafeteria in six months. It is also 
interesting to note that our average per day in the cafe- 
teria for the first fifteen days was a little over one thou- 
sand, and for the last fifteen days has been seventeen hun- 

14 



dred. This is a considerable increase, yet it seems as if 
the cafeteria runs on with just the same ease and the 
crowds do not seem any greater than they did for the first 
two weeks. The following are the statistics for the first 
six months: 

Number served in cafeteria 231,745 

Average number served per day 1,287 

Letters posted at information desk 36,704 

People directed how to find friends 3,795 

Direct connections made between friends. . . 2,655 

Questions answered at main desk 61,034 

Telephone messages taken and delivered. ... 6,311 

Parcels checked free of charge 5,972 

Women using rest room 39,6£;2 

Children and babies using nursery 966 

People using building 500,000 

"We all realize that before long the time will come 
when the division will be with us no longer and we feel 
we can never say enough in gratitude for the wonderful 
recognition that our house has had from all of these 
men. We realize more and more how fortunate we have 
been to have a commanding ofiicer like General G., who 
has seen the real service our building could render and 
who from the very first has stood by us with the most 
wonderful kind of help and encouragement; a man who 
has strong religious convictions and who has never hesi- 
tated to express in public his views of right and wrong; 
a man who is big enough to command the respect of the 
whole community and yet who never considers himself 
too big to attend to the personal details that mean so 
much. Only a few days ago he stood, acting as godfather 
while Mrs. M., our hostess, stood as god-mother for two 
enlisted men who were being confirmed in the Episcopal 
church. 

"We shall see him leave us with a very keen regret and 
with a deep feeling of gratitude in our hearts for all he 
has done in removing obstacles from our pathway and 
helping us in the work we are trying to do. May the best 
of good fortune go with General G. and his division and 
the hearty thanks of all of the workers here who have had 
their work made easier because of the very wonderful 
support that has gone out from headquarters." 

15 



1 




During the epidemic of influenza, the demands upon 
the hostess house varied according to conditions in dif- 
ferent camps and were in each case met to the satisfac- 
tion of the commanding officer. In some, the houses 
were used to lodge the relatives of desperately ill men; 
in some, the extra Red Cross nurses lived, and others were 
frankly commandeered as additional hospital wards, 
filled, even to the wide verandas, with cots. One such 
house was pronounced completely suitable for a hospital 
and gained special praise for its record of recoveries. In 
every case, the Young Women's Christian Association 
received expressions of gratitude and appreciation for 
the service of the house and the ability of the workers 
to adapt themselves to the needs of the camp. 

Typical of work done in many hostess houses during 
the "flu" is the following part of a report: 

"On the 28th of September packages of all kinds and 
descriptions began to come in, were left by the relatives 
and friends of boys who were ill but not ill enough for 
them to secure a pass. I had asked the secretaries of the 
hospital 'Y' if they would deliver any packages, thinking 
we might have some, and they said they would gladly do 
it. But we hadn't any idea how fast they would come in. 
One entire end of the office was filled about three feet 
high several times a day. 

"On Sunday, the 29th, we had immense crowds. They 
were not allowed to stand close together in line or to 
congregate in the rooms. We used all the folding chairs 
we had in the yard, did our best with disinfectants and 
electric fans and kept all doors and windows open to 
prevent anyone from contracting the epidemic here. We 
were inspected a number of times that day. 

"On the second of October we made a barrack of our 
living room. The Quartermaster's Department hadn't 
a cot on hand that night, but expected 5,000 the next day. 
We were able to secure eleven cots from the Red Cross, 
which we put in the living room for women and then 
made beds on the floor. We put men in the writing room 
and on the cafeteria porch. We housed twenty-two extra 
people that first night. We kept only the relatives of the 
boys who were so desperately ill that the presence of their 
own people seemed advisable. 

17 



"That day I asked for a Y. M. C. A. man to help us, 
and on October third sent for another. Over fifty people 
slept here on the third. We had been keeping the house 
open day and night and were getting so tired 1 asked Mr. 
D., head of the Y. M. C. A. in camp, for a man to sit 
up at night for us. The Y. M. C. A. buildings had all 
been practically closed for days. Mr. C. volunteered for 
the work, and was here for weeks. He was just the man 
for the place. 

"General A. came in every day, sometimes both morn- 
ing and evening. On the fourth he suggested that we 
have tents put up to handle the crowd of visitors, so we 
had ten tents put up that day with six cots to a tent and 
were given a detail to help with cleaning. It is the first 
help of the kind this hostess house has ever had. A 
couple of days later we increased the detail. I do not 
know how we could have got along without this help. We 
had about twenty visitors a day for a while, and now aver- 
age fifteen a day. 

"During the night of the fourth, with our first ten tents, 
we thought we would not have enough cots. Several 
visitors, however, always preferred to sit up, so some 
blankets were saved for them. On the fifth sixty-two 
women, fifty men and one baby slept here. The camp 
personnel came down with one hundred of their men and 
moved into our living room. The appearance of the 
room was certainly changed. For two days they used the 
living room during the day and moved across to the cafe- 
teria at night. After that they moved into their office 
tents which were pitched beside our front walk. Miss S. 
and Miss B. sat up several nights, with the sick. After 
that, two Y. W. C. A. secretaries came out from the city 
Association every night. The assistance w^e received 
from the Association was valuable. The Y. M. C. A. 
moved down in force the day the personnel men arrived. 
A number of chaplains made their headquarters here, 
and Y. M. C. A., K. of C. and other organizations worked 
hand in hand with the Y. W. C. A. 

"On the sixth we turned the writing room into a check 
room and stationed orderlies there. We are still using 
the room for that purpose and are still keeping the house 

19 



open the full twenty-four hours. It has not been closed 
day or night for weeks. 

"We added tents until we had four office tents and 
eighteen for sleeping. The women visitors were quar- 
tered in the living room and on the cafeteria porch. We 
worked out a special system for giving out the cots by 
filing cards so we could know just where each one was 
sleeping, in case of call at night. During the rush it took 
about a dozen people to help with the arrangements for 
sleeping. Those who slept in the house and on the porches 
had sheets; those in the tents had not. We had a special 
detail to fold up the cots each morning and place them at 
night. 

"The hotels laundered the bed linen without charge, 
taking it to town in the morning and bringing it back 
at night. We made no charge for the use of the cots, but 
we told our visitors we would be glad to receive a dona- 
tion if they cared to make one. During the height of the 
epidemic 3,553 people slept at the house. Many said it 
was the biggest single charity of which they had ever 
heard. In many cases the relatives could not have stayed 
if they had had to pay much for lodging. Numbers of 
the visitors had never before been away from home. 

"So many telegrams were being sent that we asked the 
Western Union for an operator. One was sent out im- 
mediately to receive the messages, and these were sent 
to town every hour by orderly. There was a waiting line 
even then for long distance calls on the telephone. We 
were given permission to talk over our camp phones to 
any place in the city or nearby town. 

"The cafeteria had the busiest time in its existence. 
The meal hours were greatly expanded and at any time 
of the day or night coffee and rolls were ready for the 
hungry. For ten days, during the worst of the siege, we 
gave away coffee and rolls, particularly during the night. 
We served nearly thirty thousand people during the epi- 
demic and estimate that we gave away about five thou- 
sand servings of coffee and rolls. We always had lunch 
for the night shift. The food was just the right sort to 
keep people fit and to tempt appetite. People who, we 
felt, were not eating enough were given a bowl of soup 

20 



or an extra serving of meat. We often charged only ten 
cents for a good dinner when we knew the visitor had 
little money. 23,910 paid meals, in all, were served dur- 
ing the time of anxiety. 

"A house nurse was installed and many women were 
kept from becoming seriously ill, yet we sent on an aver- 
age one case of influenza a day to the City Hospital. The 
biggest work of the hostess house was the general care 
of the thousands who came. Everything possible was 
done. There was so much sorrow. 

"General A. was our most appreciative visitor. He 
said we had the critical end of the work to handle and 
were doing it so well he would not presume to make a 
single suggestion. His summary was: 'The work here 
is marvelous. You can have anything you want.' Colonel 
E. told me the General had had a number of letters of 
appreciation of their treatment at the hostess house 
from relatives of soldiers. 

"One tent, all through the epidemic, had a sign: 'Infor- 
mation for Relatives of Deceased Soldiers.' Information 
of every sort was sought here. The army has always met 
the relatives of deceased soldiers at the hostess house 
and visitors came here to find the location of their boys 
and for their passes as well." 

With the demobilization days came hard and often 
perplexing demands upon hostess houses. At times 
women visitors were less numerous, but not less needy. 
The morale of the soldiers was of paramount importance 
to the military authorities, and the War Department 
asked hostess houses to use their unique facilities for 
the entertainment and contentment of the men. The 
committee tried to do this without abandoning its 
service to the women. Many kinds of parties and enter- 
tainments were held, and dancing was permitted where 
asked for by the morale officer. The joyful return to 
the hostess house of the many men who were its friends 
while in training and who missed it when overseas was 
a delight. 

In the following reports are examples of work carried 
on in the demobilization period: 

"The month of April brought many changes to the 

21 



camp. Very few of the air service men are left in 
camp, and every week overseas troops numbering from 
I, GOO to 3,000 men arrive. These men, on leaving the 
transports, march directly to the camp, a long and weary 
tramp of from six to seven miles, so on their arrival their 
well appointed barracks seem most comfortable and even 
luxurious. Then, when they rush to the hostess house, 
as they do as soon as they are 'de Franced,' they feel, as 
they tell us many times, they have really reached heaven. 

"A personal note of invitation is sent from the director 
of the hostess house to the commanding officer of each 
incoming division, offering the hospitality of the house 
during the day and evening to his officers and men. 

"The breakfast hour from eight to nine, when two 
hundred have sometimes been served, is as popular as any 
during the day. Over the week-ends, a few times, nearly 
a thousand a day have been served during all the meal 
hours, so it can readily be seen these are busy days at 
this hostess house, with a leap from 100 to 1,000 a day. 

"The em.ergency bedrooms are in constant use, for 
there is still much sickness in the army. Mothers and 
wives are very frequently telegraphed to from the hospital 
headquarters and on their arrival in camp are most grate- 
ful for the quiet and rest of the cheerful little bedrooms 
which they occupy until accommodation can be found 
for them in the little villages nearby. Some of these 
women have been with us during days and nights of 
serious illness and even death, and they continue to write 
letters of gratitude and send small gifts of appreciation." 

Number of people entering building iO)59i 

Questions answered at information desk. . . . 1,923 

Parcels checked free of charge 4(54 

Telephone messages taken and delivered. . . . 860 

Direct connections made between friends. . . 95 

Women using rest room 2,405 

Children using nursery 265 

"Since the first of April, 1919, between five and six 
thousand men have arrived and been discharged from 
this camp. With so many organizations represented, we 

23 



have met men of all types, all happy in the prospect of 
soon being at home with loved ones. While waiting their 
discharge they enjoy, when possible, the comforts of our 
home. As one man expressed it: 'I love to sit here and 
get an occasional whiff of something good cooking in the 
kitchen.' One young lad opened the door and timidly 
inquired: 'Please, may I come in, or is this an officers' 
mess? It looks so nice.' 

"The coming of so many troops brought friends and 
relatives from all parts of the State who waited patiently 
or otherwise for the first sight of the dear ones. As the 
men are expected to turn in the equipment at once, and 
after that remain in the demobilization camp in order 
to sign papers necessary to complete their discharge in 
forty-eight hours, those waiting spend their time eating, 
asking questions and looking up the road until rewarded 
with a glimpse of their soldier boy. 

"A family consisting of father, mother, wife and small 
child, after waiting for hours hoping that the boy might 
be free in time to have luncheon with them, finally de- 
cided to have the meal without him. They had scarcely 
seated themselves when the young man rushed in. His 
mother saw him first and in an instant was in his arms 
holding him as though she would never again give him 
up. The little wife with the child clinging to her skirt 
stood by. The man, excitedly trying to greet all of them 
at once, reached out and grasped his wife's hand and shook 
it frantically. She stood it as long as she could and 
finally gasped: 'Quit shaking my hand. I'm your wife.' 

"Those troops fortunate in the possession of good health 
are on their way rejoicing before we realize that they have 
been with us. But those in the convalescent camp and 
hospital come to us just as soon as they are able to move 
about. One boy surprised us several weeks ago by hob- 
bling in in his bathrobe and slippers. He had managed 
to slip away from the hospital a mile away without be- 
ing observed by the orderly. He made himself comfort- 
able among the cushions, and, taking a book, informed us 
that he was going to remain all day, as our house was 
the only quiet, peaceful spot in camp. He wanted to get 
away from tin pianos and racket of all kinds. 

25 



"There are a number of interesting groups who come 
here from the hospital; a young father who spends the 
entire day with his wife and little son, and there are, too, 
three boys who when they first came used crutches. 
However, the treatment given them is working wonders 
and now one boy no longer needs a support and the other 
two carry canes. They are quite young, mere babies who 
want to be talked to, encouraged and petted a little. They 
come from the hospital three or four times daily, some- 
times forgetting that time flies and remaining too late for 
the Red Cross bus to take them home. When this occurs, 
we call in our good friends and neighbors, the Fire De- 
partment who are always willing to provide transporta- 
tion for the helpless ones. Sometimes they bring the hose 
carriage if the Dodge is not available, but we never call 
on them in vain. 

"An interesting incident occurred some weeks ago. 
Three almost helpless cripples came in for food. One of 
the hostesses walked beside them while they were select- 
ing their meals and carried their trays to a table, doing 
all she could to make them comfortable. One of the 
boys left some change on the tray — a tip for her kindness. 
The hostess whispered to him that she would love to 
accept the money but it was against cafeteria rules. He 
was sorry, but did not want to encourage her to break a 
rule, and promised to remember her in some other way. 
It is needless to state how deeply touched we are with 
the gratitude of these heroes, and thankful for the privi- 
lege of seiving them in any way. 

"The coordinating committee, made up of a repre- 
sentative from each welfare organization, meets once a 
week to discuss plans for the diversion and pleasure of 
the men. Once a week a dance and dinner are given at 
the convalescent center. Girls from San Diego and La 
Jolla, vouched for by the War Camp Community Serv- 
ice, are brought to these dances properly chaperoned. 
Tuesday evenings a dance is given at the Knights of 
Columbus building for officers and another for enlisted 
men at the Jewish Welfare building. With movies, the- 
atres and athletic stunts given nightly at various places, 
the men who are able to be out of doors need not spend 
a single dull moment. While it is not always possible for 

26 



us to take an active part in all these affairs we are always 
cordially invited to do so. The most kindly and harmon- 
ious feeling exists among all welfare boards and our 
co-workers are good enough to tell us that we are doing 
greater work than they can ever hope to do, even though 
we may not appear in the limelight as frequently." 

"The report of this month is a story of the entertain- 
ment in camp of the Division. For months every 

one had looked forward to their return, planning to give 
them the best of everything, to show proper appreciation 
of the splendid way they had done their part in the great 
war. When at last they came, they filled the camp with 
life, activity and throngs of admiring relatives and 
friends, so that never in the history of the house were 
we so busy on Sunday and every day as during their stay 
here. 

"Not only relatives and friends, but the mayors and 
committees of various towns came, bringing gifts, to do 
honor to the returned heroes. Never were there so many 
visitors daily nor so much interest and excitement. Every 
regiment had its band and the camp seemed suddenly to 
come to life again, assuming the look and air of a real 
army training area. 

"Our information desk was again the busiest spot in 
the room, hundreds coming to find the boys and to be 
directed to the part of camp where they were billeted. 
Over three hundred telegrams were sent from here. This 
last service was largely requested by the officers who made 
this their headquarters. Requests to locate the boys came 
by letter and telegram as well. Many times the visiting 
parties, after wandering all over the camp, would come 
to us as a last resort. With hardly an exception they were 
able to locate their boys, and then they would say: 'Why 
didn't we come here first. It w^ould have been so easy.' 
Everybody came for information of every kind and every- 
body got what they asked for. Two were necessary at the 
desk during the busiest times of the day. I shall never 
be able to tell of the appreciation of this place. 

"The most exciting time w^as when the "Patricia" came, 
bringing some of the last units. The trains came in late 
in the afternoon and the officers and men found our place 

27 



just at the end of the supper hour. They had had little to 
eat that day, so dinners were served. The line was a 
steady one and soon the regular dinner gave out. Fried 
eggs and cold ham were substituted, one of our workers 
preparing the eggs. Apple pie and ice cream were the 
favorities, of course, and each boy told us just how long 
it had been since he had eaten any. The whoops of joy 
at sight of a pie attested to their great satisfaction in 
getting it. One boy said, 'We have dreamed of eating 
pie and ice cream.' 

"They came in such a steady line that the supplies 
began to give out, but happily there was always something 
to substitute. When at ten-thirty the night baker took 
out the first apple pies, we served them hot. The boys, 
we learned afterwards, thought we had baked especially 
for them. At eleven we felt we must close, when a new 
group suddenly appeared, and their eager, expectant faces 
told so much of the joy of being home and all it meant, 
we couldn't refuse as long as there was anything to serve. 
Finally, at ii 145 we realized we must close. Putting the 
lights out and guarding the doors seemed the only way of 
stopping the stream of hungry men which had been com- 
ing in since seven o'clock. Some had to be turned away, 
much to our regret, but another busy day was almost 
upon us. The number served in the cafeteria during the 
month was 43,806; the largest number served on one day, 

2,562." 

An idea of work done in hostess houses conducted for 
visitors to colored troops can be had from the following 
report: 

"The joy of working in the hostess house just now is 
without parallel. In the first place the cooperation of 
the camp authorities and welfare workers is all that could 
be desired. Members of our stafif have been with the 
morale officer, giving talks to men in Sunday School 
classes, in the barracks and aiding in entertainment of 
men in the convalescent house of the Red Cross. 

"The commanding officers of the several companies 
are permitting the men to have big spreads and our house 
has been the scene of several pretty parties given by the 
soldiers for their friends. 

29 



"When the men of the Division were here, they 

filled our house from early morning until late at night. 
For the most part they were young, educated, cultured 
men of Ohio. A more cosmopolitan group could scarcely 
be found — Scotch, Negro, American and Chinese. They 
were striking examples of the wonderful lessons of fel- 
lowship and sympathy that these splendid fellows had 
learned. 

"The former commandant of this camp has returned 
with these boys and has assumed charge of the camp 
once more. A few days after his arrival he visited us and 
found the house filled with his own men and, recognizing 
them, greeted them most cordially and inquired about 
their health. 

"A joint celebration of Lincoln-Douglass Day was 
held in the main auditorium on February 12. The orga- 
nizations participating were the hostess house, Y. M. C. 
A. huts 75 and 78, 10" Tr. Bn., 418 Labor Bn., 2" Tr. Bn., 
convalescent center and nurses from Quarters No. 7 at 
base hospital. This entertainment brought nearly all 
the men in camp and had as its audience the high- 
est rank in the camp. The general and his stafif were 
present. Two members of our stafif took part. One spoke 
on 'Personal reminiscences of Frederick Douglass' and 
the other sang a solo. 

"The men are enjoying our house to the full. Many are 
the regrets that the house was not here last winter when 
it was severely cold and the boys had no place to take 
their women friends. They are making up for lost time 
now. 

"The Sunday following the coming of these boys 
found loving mothers, wives and sweethearts here to wel- 
come their much be-decorated sons, brothers and lovers. 
Some of these men are wearing one, two and as many as 
three decorations for valor upon the battle field. These 
boys bear their honors most modestly and are rather re- 
luctant to tell of their experiences, unless one literally 
draws them out." 

"Some interesting incidents happened while this group 
was here. A soldier, Willis by name, had gone overseas 

31 



when his little girl was two and a half years old. Having 
stayed eighteen months, his little daughter had forgotten 
her "daddy." They met in the hostess house and it 
took several hours for her to accept him, but finally she 
took him by the hand and led him all over the room, tell- 
ing each person: "This is my daddy." 

"Not long ago a rather youthful looking woman came 
into the house, saying she had word that her husband 
and son were expected in the camp that night. She had 
not intended that they should know that she was coming 
to meet them, and came to the house to await word of 
their arrival in camp. As she sat in the cafeteria, removed 
from the main entrance, the door opened and the eyes of 
her boy fell upon her instantly. He had no idea his 
mother was there. The father had gone to town but the 
boy said something drew him to the hostess house as 
soon as he saw the Blue Triangle and the letters, Y. W. 
C. A. 

"There were many musicians in camp besides those 
who were with the band. Early one morning a group of 
them got in the house before the staff came downstairs 
and gave them a delightful sacred concert. They also 
played one Sunday afternoon to a large group of admir- 
ing friends. 

"We were the recipient of several victrola records. 

"General G. has called for regular weekly meetings of 
all welfare workers in the camp. We are to report all 
things of mutual interest and help devise plans to aid 
in upholding the morale of the army. The meetings are 
held in the librarv of the community house each Thurs- 
day afternoon. 

"Below is the report of the Information Hostess: 

Civilian visitors 500 

Women in restroom 170 

Babies in restroom 12 

Soldiers located 34 

Lodging secured 12 

Parcels checked 998 

Letters mailed ^A^^ 

Stationery — envelopes SjS^^ 

" paper 4,000 

32 



Telephone calls 322 

Telegrams sent 74 

Telegrams received 18 

Books distributed 35 

With the demobilization days came new work. The 
Debarkation Hostess House in New York City, opened 
early in February, 1919, had for its object the care of 
the women relatives and friends of men in service. In 
addition to the typical facilities for reception, rest, in- 
formation, checking, other personal service and food, 
were lodging accommodations for one hundred women 
and children. During the first nine months, 3,049 women 
and 405 children had been housed, and 129,348 served in 
the cafeteria. In cooperation with the Red Cross, this 
hostess house received and cared for all those war brides 
entering the Port of New York who were not met by hus- 
bands or relatives. The Red Cross conducted in this 
house its office for service to these women, and the house 
thus became the first home in the United States for over 
3,000 brides, representing seventeen nationalities. 

The two houses asked for by the Red Cross at Base 
Hospital No. 19, Oteen, N. C, and Base Hospital No. 28 
at Fort Sheridan, 111., were completed and running on 
October first, serving to excellent purpose among the 
sick and convalescent in these two hospitals. 

Little by little, the work of the houses grew less, and 
finally reached what might be called a peace-time basis. 
On October 16, the War Department sent to the afiiliated 
welfare organizations, which had done work in camps 
during the war, a statement that on November i, 1919, the 
War Department would absorb and take over the work 
of these welfare organizations under a branch of itself, 
called the Education and Recreation Branch of the 
War Plans Division of the General Staff. 

They specifically requested of the Young Women's 
Christian Association that buildings with such equipment 
as the War Work Council should see fit to turn over, in 
camps including aviation fields, regular posts, canton- 
ments and general hospitals, should be given to the War 
Department on that date. The Y. W. C. A. had buildings 
in 37 of these camps listed, and, since in some camps there 

33 



was more than one building, it meant that on November i 
the War Work Council of the Young Women's Chris- 
tian Association turned over to the government 50 build- 
ings. At the request of the Navy Department, the War 
Work Council continued to supervise and carry on the 
work in naval and marine Stations until it was lately 
absorbed by the Navy. 

In 22 of these 37 camps, hostess house work was still 
active at this date, but in the other camps work had 
ceased because the personnel of the camp had been so 
reduced that the service of the house was no longer 
needed. In the camps where hostess houses had been 
closed for some time, buildings only were turned over to 
the Government, as theft, deterioration or need in active 
work elsewhere caused the equipment to be taken from 
these buildings. It was, however, the intention of the 
hostess house committee to turn over the active hostess 
houses equipped in such a way as to preserve the com- 
fortable, homey look which had been their peculiar char- 
acteristic. 

At the request of the War Department, the hostess 
house committee recommended many of those who had 
been working under this organization to continue work 
with the War Department, but the appointment of these 
workers was made through the Education and Recreation 
Branch of the War Plans Division of the General Staff, 
subject to the approval of the commanding officer of 
each camp. The cafeteria continued in many of these 
camps, but was financed by the Post Exchange, which 
retained many who were previously Y. W. C. A. workers. 

Each hostess house had as its goal the giving of the kind 
of service most needed in each camp, according to the 
resources, the experience and the responsibility of the 
Young Women's Christian Association, and to make that 
service as efficient and as telling as the ability and spirit 
of the workers made possible. The erection and opera- 
tion of hostess houses w^as done under increasing Govern- 
ment cooperation and supervision which made possible 
certain work that the Y. W. C. A. otherwise could not 
do and defined and restricted the co-operation which 
have done and defined and restricted the cooperation 

35 



which would have been desirable between that war emer- 
gency service of the organization and the remainder of 
its war program. 

NATIONAL HOSTESS HOUSE COMMITTEE 

Mrs. E. M. Townsend, Chairman 

Mrs. William Pierson Hamilton, First Vice Chairman 

Miss Margaret Mead, Sccotid Vice Chairman 

Miss Katherine Scott, Executive Secretary 

Active Members 

Mrs. F. McNeil Bacon Mrs. William Henry Hays 

Mrs. Hugh Criss Mrs. Colgate Hoyt 

Mrs. Herbert S. Carter Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin 

Mrs. Josephus Daniels Mrs. Henry G. Marquand 

Mrs. Walter Douglas Mrs. Frederick Mead 

Mrs. Coleman du Pont Mrs. Frederic B. Pratt 

I Mrs. E. R. L. Gould Mrs. William Rossiter 
Mrs. Leonard Wood 

Associate Members 

Mrs. Robert Bacon, New York City 
Mrs. James A. Baker, Houston, Texas 
Mrs. Franklin P. Cator, Baltimore, Maryland 
Mrs. G. J. Fiebeger, West Point, New York 
Mrs. Roy Hoffman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
Mrs. John Sherman Hoyt, New York City 
Mrs. William M. Manley, Baltimore, Marjdand 
Mrs. William Fellowes Morgan, New York City 
Mrs. Endicott Peabody, Groton, Massachusetts 
Mrs. Harold Peabody, Boston, Massachusetts 
Mrs. William McMaster, Portland, Oregon 
Mrs. Harmon Remmel, Little Rock, Arkansas 
Mrs. Chester Thorne, Tacoma, Washington 
Mrs. Lawrence J. Viles, Chicago, Illinois 
Mrs. Egerton Winthrop, New York City 

LIST OF YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION 
HOSTESS HOUSES ARMY CAMPS 

Camp Beauregard, La. 
Camp Bowie, Tex. 

37 



Camp Cody, N. Mex. 

Camp Doniphan, Okla. (Moved to Fort Sill) 

Camp Fremont, Cal. 

Camp Greene, No. i, N. C. 

Camp Greene, No. 2, N. C. (colored) 

Camp Hancock, Ga. 

Camp Kearny, Cal. 

Camp Logan, Tex. 

Camp McArthur, Tex. 

Camp McClellan, Ala. 

Camp Sevier, S. C. 

Camp Shelby, Miss. 

Camp Sheridan, Ala. 

Camp Wadsworth, No. i, S. C. 

Camp Wadsworth, No. 2, S. C. (colored) 

Camp Wheeler, Ga. 

AVIATION FIELDS 

Call Field, Tex. 

Camp Morrison, Va. 

Carlstrom Field, Fla. 

Damm Field, L. I., N. Y. 

Dorr Field, Fla. 

Eberts Field, Ark. 

Ellington Field, Tex. 

Hazelhurst Field, L. I., N. Y. 

Kellv Field, Tex. 

Mitchel Field, L. I., N. Y. 

Overland Aviation School, St. Paul, Minn. 

Park Field, Tenn. 

Payne Field, Miss. 

Rich Field, Tex. 

Wilbur Wright Air Service Depot, Ohio 

CANTONMENTS 

Camp Custer, No. i, Mich. 

Camp Custer, No. 2, Mich, (colored) 

Camp Devens, Mass. 

Camp Dix, No. i, N. J. 

Camp Dix, No. 2, N.J. (colored) 

Camp Dodge, No. i, Iowa 

Camp Dodge, No. 2, Iowa (colored) 

Camp Funston, No. i, Kansas 

Camp Funston, No. 2, Kansas (colored) 

Camp Funston, Kansas (detention) 

Camp Gordon, No. i, Ga. 

Camp Gordon, No. 2, Ga. (colored) 

Camp Gordon Remount Sta., Ga. 

Camp Grant, No. i. 111. 

Camp Grant, No. 2, 111. (colored) 

3(1 



Camp Jackson, No. i, S. C. 

Camp Jackson, No. 2, S. C. (colored) 

Camp Las Casas, No. i, Porto Rico 

Camp Las Casas, No. 2, Porto Rico (colored) 

Camp Lee, No. i, Va. 

Camp Lee, No. 2, Va. (replacement camp) 

Camp Lee, No. 3, Va. (colored) 

Camp Lewis, Wash. 

Camp Meade, No. i, Md. 

Camp Meade, No. 2, Md. (colored) 

Camp Pike, Ark. 

Camp Sherman, Ohio (colored) 

Camp Taylor, No. i, Ky. 

Camp Taylor, No. 2, Ky. (colored) 

Camp Travis, No. i, Texas 

Camp Travis, No. 2, Texas (colored) 

Camp Travis, Texas (detention camp) 

Camp Upton, No. i, L. I., N. Y. 

Camp Upton, No. 2, L. I., N. Y. 

Camp Upton, No. 3, L. I.. N. Y. (colored) 

IN CITY FOR NEARBY CAMPS 

Boston, Mass., (48 Boylston St.) 

Brooklyn, New York (245 Carlton Ave.) 

Fort Williams 

Fort McKinley, Portland, Maine 

Fort Preble 

Fort Hamilton, New York 

Hoboken, N. J. (Port of Embarkation) 

New London, Conn. 

New York City, 30 E. 52nd St., (Debarkation) 

New York City, 375 Lexington Ave. (Debarkation) 

Portland, Me., Dock (Debarkation) 

Port Townsend, Wash. 

Saunderstowii, R. I. 

MARINE 

Marine Barracks, Quantico, Va. 
Marine Barracks, V^ancouver, Wash. 
Parris Island, 5. C. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

Camp Alexander. \"a. (Embarkation) (colored) 

Army Reserve Depot, South Schenectady, N. Y. (Remount) 

Camp Crane, Penn. (Medical) 

Camp Eustis, Va. (Artiller\) 

Fort Benjamin, Harrison, Ind. (General Hospital No. 25) 

Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. (Medical) 

Fort Riley, Kans. (Medical) 

39 



Fort Shafter, T. H., Hawaiian Islands 

Camp Hill, Va. (Embarkation) 

Camp Humphreys, Va. (Engineer) 

Camp Johnston, Fla. (Quartermaster) 

Camp Merritt, No. i, N. J. (Embarkation) 

Camp Merritt, No. 2, N. J. (Debarkation) 

Camp Mills, L. I., N. Y. (Embarkation) 

Plattsburg Barracks, N. Y. (Reserve Officers' Training Corps — Later 

Genl. Hosp.) 
Camp Polk, N. C. (Artillery) 
Raritan Arsenal, N. J. (Ordnance) 
Schofield Barracks, Castner, T. H., Hawaiian Islands 

NAVAL BASES AND STATIONS 

Navy Yard, Bremerton, Wash. 

Naval Station, Main Sta., Great Lakes, 111. 

Naval Station, Camp Dewe}^ Great Lakes, 111. 

Naval Base, Hampton Roads, Va. 

Naval Training Station, Newport R. I. 

Naval Base, San Diego, Cal. 

Receiving Ship of New York, Bay Ridge, N. Y. 

RED CROSS HOSPITAL CENTERS 

General Hospital No. 28. Fort Sheridan, 111. 
General Hospital No. 19, Azalea, N. C. 

RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS 

Fort Niagara, New York 
Madison Barracks, New York 
Camp Stanley, Texas 

STUDENT ARMY TRAINING CORPS 

Syracuse. New York 
University of Oregon, Corvallis, Ore. 
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. 
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 
Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Durham, N. H. 
Princeton University, N. J. 
Syracuse University, Syracuse, N. Y. 
Training Detachment, Syracuse, N. Y. 
Fort Sheridan, 111. (See Red Cross Hospital Centers) 
41 



WAR WORK COUNCIL 

NATIONAL BOARD 
YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS 

Hostess House . . Expenditures 
June 1917 .... Dec. 1,1919 

Construction 2,883,849.71 

Rent and Alterations .... 232,165.46 

Equipment 532,438.59 

Automobiles 46,408.19 

Operation and Maintenance . . 741,097.95 

TraveUl-KTS 38,227.61 

Total . . . 4,474,187.51 



Hostess Housr . Receipts 

Salvage . 62,037.60 

Net Cafeteria receipts .... 214,670.39 

Total . . . 276,707.99 



43 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



021 140 094 8 



